Decatur, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Decatur, Texas
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Downtown Decatur
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| Nickname(s):
Little D
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Location of Decatur, Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Wise |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.78 sq mi (22.75 km2) |
| • Land | 8.78 sq mi (22.75 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,102 ft (336 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,538 |
| • Density | 744.6/sq mi (287.38/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
76234
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| Area code(s) | 940 |
| FIPS code | 48-19528 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1373362 |
| Website | http://www.decaturtx.org/ |
Decatur is the county seat of Wise County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,538 in 2020.
Contents
History
Wise County was established in 1856, and Taylorsville (in honor of Zachary Taylor) was made the county seat.
Absalom Bishop, an early settler and member of the Texas Legislature, opposed naming the town after a Whig Party member, and in 1858, arranged to have the name changed to Decatur, in honor of naval hero Stephen Decatur.
In 1857, a post office was opened, and the first school was established in 1857. In the early 1860s, a courthouse was erected.
Civil War
Early settlers to northern Texas came from a variety of eastern states, with about half coming from the "Deep South". Most of the rest came from the Upper South, and a number sympathized with the Unionist side at the outset of the Civil War. Cooke County and others voted against secession in this part of the state. Violence against Unionists by Confederate troops and militia was common, especially after the Confederate legislature passed an unpopular conscription law.
The Great Hanging at Gainesville is believed to have been the largest single incident of vigilante violence in U.S. history.
After the Civil War
By the late 1860s, several stores and a hotel had been established. In 1882, the Fort Worth and Denver Railway reached the town, and Decatur was added to the Butterfield Overland mail route.
In 1881, the Wise County Old Settlers Reunion held their first meeting. This has become an annual tradition in Decatur, and the reunion continues to take place during the last full week of July.
Decatur Baptist College (now Dallas Baptist University) was established in Decatur in 1898. It was the first two-year institution of higher education in Texas. In 1965, the college moved to Dallas to be in a larger population center. The former Administration Building then housed the Wise County Heritage Museum. The building was destroyed in a fire in 2023. It is one of five sites in Decatur listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Wise County Courthouse was designed by James Riely Gordon, the master architect of Texas courthouses. Completed in 1896, the building is an example of Gordon's Signature Plan. He used corner entrances (making for short halls) to draw in the breeze, which was pulled up through a central atrium like a chimney, providing excellent air circulation. The exterior is Texas red granite (like the Capitol) with terra cotta ornamentation. The almost pyramidal mass refers to 1,000-year-old churches in the south of France. The building has been praised, with its "sister" courthouse in Waxahachie, as "the zenith of Gordon's Richardsonian Romanesque work". It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1962, Eddie Wayne Hill, lead guitarist for Tommy & the Tom Toms, and drummer Joel Colbert, were killed when their convertible collided head-on with a gravel truck on State Highway 114 south of Decatur. Country singer Charley Pride was more fortunate, surviving a mid-air crash with another plane over Decatur in 1980, though two people died in the crash.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22 km2), all land. The highest point of elevation in the county is the courthouse site. As with ancient hill towns in Europe, the frontier settlement was developed on high ground for defensive purposes, so European settlers could see and ward off attacks or raids, in this case by Native Americans.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Decatur has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 579 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,746 | 201.6% | |
| 1900 | 1,562 | −10.5% | |
| 1910 | 1,651 | 5.7% | |
| 1920 | 2,205 | 33.6% | |
| 1930 | 2,037 | −7.6% | |
| 1940 | 2,578 | 26.6% | |
| 1950 | 2,922 | 13.3% | |
| 1960 | 3,563 | 21.9% | |
| 1970 | 3,240 | −9.1% | |
| 1980 | 4,104 | 26.7% | |
| 1990 | 4,252 | 3.6% | |
| 2000 | 5,201 | 22.3% | |
| 2010 | 6,042 | 16.2% | |
| 2020 | 6,538 | 8.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 4,200 | 64.24% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 61 | 0.93% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 26 | 0.4% |
| Asian (NH) | 79 | 1.21% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 14 | 0.21% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 206 | 3.15% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,952 | 29.86% |
| Total | 6,538 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,538 people, 2,507 households, and 1,753 families residing in the city.
Economy
In August 2008, Entegris acquired Poco Graphite, Inc. of Decatur, a supplier of specialized graphite and silicon carbide products for use in semiconductor, EDM, glass-bottling, biomedical, aerospace, and alternative-energy applications.
Arts and culture
Decatur has a full-service library.
The Service Broadcasting Tower Decatur, a guyed TV-mast, belongs to world's tallest constructions.
Parks and recreation
- Kenny Renshaw Park, located off FM 51 in south Decatur, features soccer fields, softball fields, a playground, and a walking trail.
- The Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland, home to several lakes and many miles of hiking and equine trails, is located just north of Decatur.
- The Sid Richardson Scout Ranch is a Boy Scout camp on Lake Bridgeport, near Decatur.
- Eagle's Canyon Raceway, an auto racing park in Decatur, was included on the 2011 LATAM Challenge Series.
Education
The City of Decatur is served by the Decatur Independent School District (DISD), the largest district in Wise County. Decatur ISD is centered in Decatur and has six campuses: Decatur High School, McCarroll Middle School, Carson Elementary School, Rann Elementary School, and Young Elementary. During the 2010–2011 school year, Decatur ISD had 3,011 students enrolled.
Weatherford College has a branch campus in Decatur.
Infrastructure
Highways
US 380
US 287
FM 51
FM 730
Airport
- Decatur Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located 2 miles north of the central business district.
- Bishop Airport is a privately owned public-use airport located 6 miles east of the central business district of Decatur.
Emergency services
Lifeteam 68, of the Air Evac Lifeteam air ambulance company, is based at Wise Regional Hospital in Decatur.
Notable people
- Trevor Brazile, world-champion rodeo cowboy
- Roy Cooper, and Tuf Cooper: father/son world-champion rodeo cowboys
- Bryce Elder, starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves
- Mike Lee, professional bull rider
- James Maness, professional football player
- Joseph Fort Newton, minister, author
- Tom Pickett, 19th-century cowboy, professional gambler, lawman, outlaw
- William Raborn, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
- Texas Ruby, country music singer
- Phil Ryan, Texas Ranger, three-term Wise County sheriff
- Samuel M. Sampler, recipient of America's highest military award—the Medal of Honor—for his actions during World War I
- Belle Hunt Shortridge (1858–1893), author
- Tommy Tatum, professional baseball player
- Guinn Williams, U.S. Representative from Texas
- Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Western movie star
See also
In Spanish: Decatur (Texas) para niños
